Gaming machine with interactive bonusing

ABSTRACT

A gaming machine has a display and a game controller arranged to control images on the display. The game controller is arranged to play a game wherein one or more random events are caused to be displayed on the display and, if a predefined winning event of combination of events results, the machine awards a prize. A predetermined symbol from a set of symbols of the game is selected as a bonus symbol. The display is an interactive display means such that, when at least one of the bonus symbols appears then, by a player touching a part of the display overlying the, or each, occurrence of the bonus symbol, a bonus prize is revealed in respect of the, or each, bonus symbol.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/182,427 filed Jul. 25, 2002, which claims priority to and the benefitof International application number PCT/AU01/00044, filed Jan. 18, 2001,which in turn claims priority to and the benefit of Australianapplication number PQ 5564, filed Feb. 11, 2000 the entire contents ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a gaming machine. More particuarly, theinvention relates to a gaming machine and to an improvement to a gameplayed on such a gaming machine.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Players who regularly play gaming machines quickly tire of particulargames and therefore it is necessary for manufacturers of these machinesto develop innovative game features which add interest to the games. Inso doing, it is hoped to keep players amused and therefore willing tocontinue playing the game as well as to attract new players.

Also with the growth that has occurred in the gaming machine market,there is intense competition between manufacturers to supply variousexisting and new venues. When selecting a supplier of gaming machines,the operator of a venue will often pay close attention to the popularityof various games with their patrons, Therefore, gaming machinemanufacturers are keen to devise games which are popular with thePlayers as a mechanism for improving sales, retaining customers andattracting new customers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, there is provided a gaming machine having adisplay means and a game control means arranged to control imagesdisplayed on the display means, the game control means being arranged toplay a game wherein one or more random events are caused to be displayedon the display means and, if a predefined winning event or combinationof events results, the machine awards a prize, the gaming machine beingcharacterised in that a predetermined symbol from a set of symbols ofthe game is selected as a bonus symbol and in that the display means isan interactive display means such that, when at least one of the bonussymbols appears then, by a player touching a part of the display meansoverlying the, or each, occurrence of the bonus symbol, a bonus prize isrevealed in respect of the, or each, bonus symbol.

The set of symbols may be a set of standard symbols of the game or apredetermined subset of that set of standard symbols.

The, or each bonus symbol may be revealed in an animated manner such asthe symbol which was touched by the player transforming into anothersymbol or indicium representative of a prize.

Further, it is to he understood that, in this specification, the term“symbol” relates to a symbol on a spinning reel-type game and, moreparticularly, a video simulation of such a spinning reel game, a card ofa card game, a ball of a Keno game, or the like.

The feature may he applicable in respect of a base game. Instead, or inaddition, the feature may be applicable in respect of a feature gamewhich is triggered upon fulfillment of predetermined conditions. Forexample, in respect of a spinning reel-type game, the feature game maybe triggered upon the occurrence of three predetermined special symbols.

The feature allowing the player to touch the screen to reveal the, oreach, bonus symbol may be triggered by a predetermined event. Then,after the predetermined event has occurred, the control means may selecta symbol from the set of symbols, or the subset of the set of symbols,to be the bonus symbol. Instead, the feature allowing the player totouch the screen to reveal the, or each, bonus symbol may he applicablefor all games played.

In another embodiment, the, or each, bonus symbol may be selected by 20the player.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is now described by way of example with reference to theaccompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a three dimensional view of a gaming machine, in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a control circuit of the gaming machine;

FIGS. 3 a to 3 d show display screens of a first embodiment of a gameplayed on the gaming machine of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 a to 4 h show display screens of a second embodiment of a gameplayed on the gaming machine;

FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of the game of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 shows a flow chart of the game of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 generally designates a gaming machine,including a game, in accordance with the invention. The machine 10includes a console 12 having a video display unit 14 on which a game 16is displayed in use. The game 16 is a spinning reel game which simulatesthe rotation of a number of spinning reels 18. A keypad 20, arranged ona midtrim 21 of the console 12, facilitates playing of the game 16.

The machine 10 includes a top box 22 on which artwork 24 is carried. Theartwork 24 includes paytables, details of bonus awards etc.

A coin tray 26 is mounted beneath the console 12 for cash payouts fromthe machine 10.

Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, a control means or controlcircuit 30 is illustrated. A program which implements the game and userinterface is run on a processor 32 of the control circuit 30. Theprocessor 32 forms part of a controller 34 which drives the screen ofthe video display unit 14 and which receives input signals from sensors36. The sensors 36 include sensors 36 associated with the keypad 20 andtouch sensors mounted in a screen of the video display unit 14.

The controller 34 also receives input pulses from a mechanism 38indicating that a player has provided sufficient credit to beginplaying. The mechanism 38 may he a coin input chute 38.1 (FIG. 1), abill collector 38.2, a credit card reader (not shown), or any other typeof validation device.

Finally, the controller 34 drives a payout mechanism 40 which, forexample, may be a coin hopper for feeding coins to the coin tray 26 topay a prize once a predetermined combination of symbols carried on thereels 18 appears on the screen 16 or some other prize winning eventoccurs.

With a game played on the gaming machine 10 of the invention, forexample, a spinning reel game, a bonusing feature is triggered by apre-determined event or, instead, may exist for all games played. Forease of explanation, the invention will be described below withreference to its application to a spinning reel type game. It will,however, be appreciated that the invention is applicable to other gamingmachine games such as card games, ball-type games such as Keno games, orthe like.

In use, the game commences in a conventional way upon actuation of thegame via the keypad 20. The player is given the opportunity to touch oneor more of the standard symbols oil the actual reels 18 and, ifnecessary, is prompted to do so. When the player touches the screenoverlying the appropriate symbols, this is sensed by the sensors 36 ofthe screen. The sensors 36 send the appropriate command to the processor32. The processor 32 then causes prizes to be revealed in the samelocation as the touched symbol by way of an animation technique whichtransforms the symbol to a win-indicating indicium or by using someother, similar method. Similarly, the symbol may transform intosomething other than an indicium representing a win. For example thesymbol may transform into one representing another bonus symbol.

A first embodiment of the game 16 is now described with reference toFIGS. 3 a to 3 d of the drawings. In this embodiment, the result of abase game is shown in FIG. 3 a of the drawings. While this embodiment isdescribed with reference to the game 16 being a base game it will beappreciated that the game 16 could also be a feature game resulting froma base game.

One of the symbols is designated as a bonus symbol. The designation ofthe bonus symbol could occur randomly or by some predetermined process.Instead, the bonus symbol may be selected by the player. A furtherpossibility is that the bonus symbol may be fixed in that the samesymbol is always the bonus symbol for every base game or feature game,as the case may be.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 a to 3 d of the drawings, the Jsymbol 42 is selected as the bonus symbol. When the screen of FIG. 3 ais displayed, the player touches the screen of tile video display unitoverlying one of the J symbols 42 to reveal a first bonus prize 44, asillustrated in FIG. 3 b of the drawings. The screen overlying a secondof the symbols 42 is then touched by the player to reveal a second bonusprize 46 as illustrated in FIG. 3 c of the drawings. The screenoverlying the third J symbol 42 is touched by the player to reveal afinal bonus prize 48.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 a to 4 h of the drawings, a second embodimentof the game 16 is illustrated. In this embodiment, the screen displayillustrated in FIG. 4 a of the drawings is the result of a base game.The presence of 3 S symbols 50 causes a second screen feature game tocommence having a screen display 52 as shown in FIG. 4 b of thedrawings. It is to be noted in FIG. 4 b of the drawings that the initialscreen display 52 of the second screen feature game comprises three rows54, 56 and 58 of symbols. The symbols in the row 54 are, initially,visually the same as each other. Similarly, the symbols in the row 56are, initially, visually the same as each other and the symbols in therow 58 are also, initially, visually the same as each other.

When the screen display 52 occurs, the player touches the screenoverlying one symbol from each row 54, 56 and 58. Hence, when the playertouches the screen overlying one of the symbols in the row 54, theselected symbol transforms into a tree game indicator as shown at 60 inFIG. 4 c of the drawings. This indicates to the player the number offree games which the player has won.

The player then touches the screen overlying one of the symbols in therow 56. The selected symbol transforms itself as shown at 62 in FIG. 4 dof the drawings to reveal a free game multiplier. The multiplier showsthe number by which all win will be multiplied during the sequence offree games.

Finally, the player touches the screen overlying one of the symbols inthe row 58 to cause the selected symbol to transform itself into asymbol 64 as shown in FIG. 4 e of the drawings. This symbol 64 indicatesto the player which symbol in the free games which will follow will be abonus symbol.

Upon completion of the steps shown in FIGS. 4 c to 4 e of the drawings,a series of free games commences. The number of free games which theplayer is awarded is as indicated by the symbol in the row 54 of thesecond screen 52 revealed by the player having touched that part of thescreen.

The screen of one of the free games is shown in FIGS. 4 f to 4 h of thedrawings and is designated generally by the reference numeral 66.

When the reels 18 of the first free game cease spinning to reveal thescreen 66, after all applicable wins have been paid and have beenmultiplied by the multiplier of the selected symbol in the row 56 of theinitial screen display of the second screen feature 52, the playertouches the screen overlying the first special symbol 68 to reveal whatbonus prize has been awarded. As shown in FIG. 4 g, a bonus prize of tencredits is awarded. The player then touches the screen overlying thesecond special symbol 70 to reveal a further bonus prize as illustratedin FIG. 4 h of the drawings.

The free games continue in this manner until all the free games havebeen awarded after which the game returns to the normal spinning reelgame without bonuses until the next feature is triggered.

Hence, it is an advantage of the invention that a gaming machine 10 isprovided with more player interaction which, the applicant believes,will result in greater player interest.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerousvariations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown inthe specific embodiments without departing from time spirit or scope ofthe invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are,therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive.

1. A gaming device comprising: a plurality of reels including aplurality of symbols on said reels, said symbols including a pluralityof player selectable symbols on said reels and at least onenon-selectable symbol on said reels upon the occurrence of apredetermined combination of symbols on said reels; means for signifyingthe player selectable symbols on said reels upon the occurrence of saidpredetermined combination of symbols on said reels; a display device fordisplaying the reels, the symbols on the reels, the predeterminedcombination of symbols on the reels, the player selectable symbols onthe reels, the non-selectable symbols on the reels and the playerselectable symbol signifying means; and a processor which communicateswith said reels and said display device, whereupon occurrence of saidpredetermined combination of symbols on said reels, said processorcauses the display device to signify the player selectable symbols onthe reels using the signifying means.
 2. The gaming device of claim 1,wherein the means for signifying the player selectable symbols includesmeans for enhancing the player selectable symbols.
 3. The gaming deviceof claim 1, wherein the means for signifying the player selectablesymbols includes means for enhancing a background around the playerselectable symbols.
 4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the displaydevice includes a touch screen for enabling a player to select theplayer selectable symbols and for communicating said selections to theprocessor.
 5. The gaming device of claim 1, which includes an awardassociated with each player selectable symbol which is provided to aplayer when the player selects said player selectable symbol.
 6. Thegaming device of claim 5, wherein the awards associated with each playerselectable symbol include bonus credits.
 7. A gaming device comprising:a plurality of reels; a plurality of symbols on the reels, wherein uponan occurrence of at least one predetermined combination of said symbolson the reels, a plurality of said symbols are selectable symbols and atleast one of said symbols is a non-selectable symbol; a display devicefor displaying the reels, the symbols on the reels including theselectable symbols on the reels and the non-selectable symbols on thereels, and for distinguishing the selectable symbols on the reels fromthe non-selectable symbols on the reels upon the occurrence of saidpre-determined combination of said symbols on the reels; a plurality ofawards associated with the distinguished selectable symbols on thereels; a selector for enabling a player to select at least one of thedistinguished selectable symbols on the reels; and a processor forcommunicating with the reels, the display device, the selector and forproviding the player the award associated with the selectable symbol onthe reels selected by the player.
 8. The gaming device of claim 7,wherein the selector includes a touch screen connected to the displaydevice.
 9. A method for operating a gaming device, said methodcomprising: (a) spinning a plurality of reels; (b) determining if apredetermined combination of symbols appears on said reels; (c)providing a plurality of player selectable symbols on said reels and atleast one non-selectable symbol on said reels if said predeterminedcombination of symbols appears on said reels, wherein said playerselectable symbols are the symbols in said predetermined combination ofsymbols; (d) signifying the player selectable symbols on said reels; (e)enabling a player to select at least one of the signified playerselectable symbols on said reels; and (f) providing the player an awardassociated with the player selectable symbol on the reels selected bythe player.
 10. The method of claim 9, which includes providing aplurality of non-selectable symbols on the reels.
 11. The method ofclaim 9, which includes repeating (e) and (f) at least once.